NHTSA Complaint #10100380 — 1999 SATURN S-SERIES SEDAN

IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY AND MARCH OF 2003 I EXPERIENCED REPEATED STALLING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY 1999 SATURN. NO ONE, INCLUDING A SATURN DEALER, KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG. BY TRIAL AND ERROR, IT SEEMED THAT IF I KEPT THE GAS TANK AT LEAST HALF FULL I COULD AVOID THE PROBLEM. IT WASN'T THE BEST SOLUTION, BUT IT SEEMED TO WORK. BUT THIS PAST SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2004, IT STALLED AGAIN ON THE HIGHWAY. ON SUNDAY I DROVE IT AROUND TOWN AND IT WAS FINE. THEN TODAY IT STALLED AGAIN IN ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME SPOT AS TWO DAYS AGO. THE WORST PART IS THAT IT HAD ALMOST A FULL TANK OF GAS; THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE STALLING OCCURRED WITH THAT MUCH GAS IN THE TANK. IT NEVER HAPPENS ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK, ONLY ON THE WAY THERE. THE STALLING OCCURS AFTER I HAVE DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR GIVES AN INDICATION THAT IT'S ABOUT TO DIE BY SHUDDERING. SO FAR I HAVE BEEN LUCKY THAT I AM ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR AND WAITING FIVE MINUTES, I CAN START IT UP AND CONTINUE MY DRIVE TO WORK, ABOUT ANOTHER 10 TO 15 MINUTES AWAY. IF I WAIT LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES, THE CAR STALLS AGAIN. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF I WAS UNABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE SATURN DEALER I TOOK IT TO IN 2003 DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE. *JB